Pagans in Office
Various pagan email groups are buzzing about Dan Halloran’s victory on Tuesday night, 3 November 2009, in his Northeast Queens City Council campaign. The campaign was won by addressing grassroots issues that mattered to the community – maintaining the character of the area by preventing large-scale real estate development, and the promotion of education, neighbourhood safety, and small business growth. Halloran received 13,694 votes compared to his opponent’s 12,380. Halloran had to overcome a smear campaign claiming that his religion furthered anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic views and that it was supported by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
Like many pagans, Halloran was raised a Christian, or in his case, a Roman Catholic. His university studies took him from a purely academic interest in Germanic mythology and lore, to embracing Heathenry, otherwise known as Germanic neopaganism, as his religion. Seeking to cover all the relevant bases, the Irish Central described him as an Irish American pagan attorney.
Specifically, Halloran is involved in Theodism which grew out of Gardnerian Wicca. Various groups espousing a Theodish philosophy have formed over the years, including one founded by Halloran in1997 which has now grown to be the largest theod in existence. [Note that Halloran’s name is sometimes spelled as O’Halloran.] Theodish groups now devote themselves to utilizing history, anthropology, and applied comparative studies disciplines, to reconstruct the pre-Christian tribal religions of the Germanic peoples.
There are a number of positive aspects to the forcing of Halloran “out of the broom closet.” The mainstream public tends to associate paganism with Wicca [of the Charmed or The Craft type variety] or some sort of earth religion. The pagan community is incredibly diverse, and there are many unique paths that can be followed apart from these.
Halloran has been hailed as the first openly heathen elected official, but is he the first openly pagan official?
Halloran has certainly got huge media attention, but openly pagan Jessica Orsini was elected to public office in April 2006, and re-elected in 2008, as Alderwoman, 3rd Ward, City of Centralia, Missouri. Most interest in Jessica Orsini is focused on her being a transgender individual holding public office, who is in fact one of only two transgender officials to win office in this country. She also enjoys wargaming and is a “dedicated pagan.”
In an ideal world with a total separation of church and state, the religious beliefs of candidates for public office would be irrelevant, as candidates would be judged solely on their ability to make a positive contribution to their community. Sadly, however, in the real world of intolerant religious fundamentalists insisting that their way is the only way it is important for minority voices to be heard. Having individuals like Dan Halloran and Jessica Orsini in office sends an important message to the mainstream community that theirs is not the only way, and that pagans are here to stay and are not going away. [So mote it be…]
I would be very interested in hearing about any other openly pagan elected officials. I do not wish to force any officials out of their broomclosets.
Tony Mierzwicki